Field Level Media
Jun 26, 2021
Michael Conforto hit the game-winning sacrifice fly Saturday as the New York Mets mounted another late-inning comeback to edge the visiting Philadelphia Phillies, 4-3.
The Mets, who forced extra innings in the seventh inning of each game of Friday's doubleheader, have won two of the first three games of the four-game series.
The Phillies took the lead without the benefit of a base hit in the top of the ninth against Edwin Diaz (2-2), who gave up the tie-breaking sacrifice fly to Nick Maton, before the Mets built their winning rally in similarly piecemeal fashion against Hector Neris (1-5).
Pinch-hitter Trevor Blankenhorn led off the bottom of the ninth with a routine grounder to first, but Rhys Hoskins misplayed the ball for an error. Billy McKinney drew a pinch-hit walk before Kevin Pillar loaded the bases with an infield single to shortstop.
Luis Guillorme then walked on a 3-2 pitch to force home Blankenhorn before Francisco Lindor struck out. Conforto followed with a liner to center and McKinney beat the throw home.
Jose Peraza had an RBI double in the second and Pillar hit his first career pinch-hit homer to tie the score in the seventh for the Mets.
Maton snapped out of an 0-for-22 slump with an RBI single in the second, which also ended Mets ace Jacob deGrom's scoreless streak at 32 1/3 innings. Both of his RBIs scored Andrew McCutchen, who led off the ninth by being hit by a pitch before stealing second and taking third on a wild pitch.
The scoreless streak wasn't the only historic deGrom run snapped Saturday.
deGrom's record streak of allowing one earned run or fewer ended at 12 starts when the Phillies scored again in the sixth. Odubel Herrera led off with a double, went to third when Bryce Harper was hit by a pitch to load the bases and scored on McCutchen's sacrifice fly.
The outing raised deGrom's ERA from 0.50 to 0.69. He gave up three hits and one walk while striking out five over six innings.
Zach Eflin allowed one run on five hits and one walk while striking out four in six innings for the Phillies.
--Field Level Media